Lauge Risom Koch 
Iran has threatened military action against Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of attacking an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea, as tensions rise during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Iran has threatened military action against Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of attacking what it says was an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, escalating tensions as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to The Daily Express, the latest diplomatic dispute follows Iranian claims that a Ukrainian strike targeted one of its vessels, an allegation Kyiv has not publicly confirmed.
Tehran issues warning
Iranian lawmaker Feda-Hossein Maleki, a member of the country’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Russian state news agency RIA Novosti: “We responded through diplomatic channels, issued an ultimatum, but a military response will certainly follow.”
Maleki also claimed Iran’s armed forces had already placed military action against Ukraine “on the agenda.”
According to The Daily Express, Iran’s Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine of carrying out a “hostile and criminal” attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, claiming one sailor was killed and another was injured.
Diplomatic tensions
According to The Daily Express, Iran summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran after the alleged incident, citing reporting from Iranian state news agency IRNA.
The accusations followed comments by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said Ukraine had struck a Russian warship and vessels used to transport Iranian-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.
The report notes that Russia has used Iranian-designed drones extensively during its invasion of Ukraine, while Kyiv has shared its experience in countering drone attacks with partners in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy meets Trump
According to The Daily Express, Zelenskyy also accused Russia of providing Iran with satellite intelligence to assist its military operations in the Middle East. In a post on X, he said Ukrainian intelligence had observed Russian surveillance of air bases in Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait before Iranian attacks.
The developments came as Zelenskyy met with President Trump in Washington, where discussions were expected to focus on Ukraine’s defense needs and continued U.S. support.
Sources: The Daily Express, RIA Novosti, IRNA
